Impacting Our Community

Summit County Cares 2018

Help us raise $50,000 for Summit County's largest emergency assistance fund.

The Summit County Cares fund helps locals facing eviction, disconnection of heat or in need of medical care.

100% of the money raised is used to pay rent, utility or medical bills for locals unable to afford the basic needs.

We need your help to raise $50,000 by December 31 for this important fund

The Summit County Cares fund helps clients of FIRC, Summit Community Care Clinic, Advocates for Victims of Assault and Social Services who are facing a crisis

Donations can be made to the Summit County Cares fund.

The Summit County Cares holiday fundraiser is working to raise $50,000 by December 31 for Summit County’s largest emergency assistance fund. 100% of the money raised will be used to help locals pay rent/mortgage, heat or medical bills. The fund benefits the clients of the Family & Intercultural Resource Center (FIRC), Summit Community Care Clinic, Advocates for Victims of Assault and Social Services facing eviction, disconnection of heat or in need of a medical procedure or treatment. $51,000 was raised in the 2017 campaign and was able to help over 200 local families and individuals.

High Cost of Living

The high cost of living makes Summit County a difficult place to raise a family, and the significant increase in rental rates combined with the lack of housing options is making it even harder. Many families live paycheck to paycheck, with 40-80 percent of their income going towards housing costs (as a comparison, the national average is under 30 percent). So when a seasonal job ends, hours are cut, a relationship turns abusive or a medical emergency arises combined with the highest housing rates the County has ever seen, it becomes almost impossible for our neighbors to afford the basic needs.

This is why the concrete support in times of need is one of the key forms of defense for families against economic and other stressors. When families can get help when needed, it allows them to weather times of crises effectively and thrive during times of stability.

The local media donates thousands of dollars of advertising to make this campaign possible. Thank you Summit Daily News, Always Mountain Time, Krystal 93 and Comcast Spotlight for their support. We also want to thank the Breckenridge Restaurant Association for donating the proceeds from the Fall Dining Passports and Father Dyer Methodist Church for donating a portion of their Christmas Eve offering.

Ways to help us reach $50,000

Donations for Summit County Cares fund are being accepted through FIRC or The Summit Foundation at SummitFoundation.org or mail checks to P.O. Box 4000 Breckenridge, CO 80424.

$10K in a Day – We are working to raise $10,000 on December 20 for Summit County Cares. Agency and media reps will be collecting donations at the City Market locations along with online donations to help raise $10,000.

Success Stories – Here are a few examples of the clients who have been helped from this fund:

Danielle’s story– Danielle is a housewife who lives in a rental home in Summit County with her husband and 2 children (8 and 2-year-old). The family can’t afford quality childcare so Danielle stays home with the two-year-old and the husband is the sole financial provider. They pay $1,425 in rent but also pay $550 in rent and some scholar expenses of their oldest son, who is a full time student in the Front Range.

The husband is a full time employee for a construction company, but the low season was longer for what they saved for and he didn’t have any work for two weeks. They came to FIRC during this crisis and were able to avoid eviction thanks to the Summit County Cares fund.

Johanna’s Story – Johanna came in to the FIRC office in an emotional crisis. She had just started the process of going through a divorce with her physically and verbally abusive husband. She also feared that her 3 boys, all under the age of 18 were starting to emulate the ex-husband behaviors and suffer emotionally from the abuse as well. Johanna was ready to make a change so FIRC was able to use some of the Summit County Cares funds to get therapy for herself and FIRC helped her put the boys in therapy with the school behavioral health program. She works full time and takes advantage of any overtime opportunities. FIRC worked with her to make a budget based on a single income and connected her to local resources so that her full paycheck can cover rent and food. Johanna is still following through with the divorce and has made remarkable success with keeping herself and family safe, emotionally stable, and happy.